Safety On a Synthetic Turf Football Field

Kids, youth, and adults everywhere are harboring their excitement about the upcoming football season. Whether you play in a Pop Warner League, junior high football, high school football, college, or professionally; football season is a time to make memories, friends, and learn valuable lessons about teamwork and dedication. The journey of football begins all across the United States at a very young age.

In 2010, over 250, 000 kids participated in Pop Warner little league football and cheerleading; and this is only one of the hundreds of youth football programs in the United States. As little league athletes grow older many go on to participate in junior high and high school football. After that, a smaller percentage continue into college football, and then an even smaller percentage in professional football leagues. Of all the kids who do not become college or professional athletes, most remain avid fans of the sport all through adulthood.

Safety On A Synthetic Turf Football Field

In the last 20 years, more and more high schools are installing synthetic turf football fields, leaving the distinct possibility that today’s generation of youth may never play football on natural grass. No matter surface you play on, football is iconic to American culture, and providing a safe environment is imperative for schools, cities, and towns who host little league and school sports.

Synthetic turf football field at Williston Northampton School

Recent studies and research has shed light on the dangers of our cultural obsession with football. Many questions have come to the forefront about the risks involved when kids are playing football. Most of the concern is situated around the risk for concussion and brain damage. There is no doubt, however, that there are other risks involved for anyone playing football, especially when playing on a synthetic turf football field.

Risks of Playing on a Synthetic Turf Football Field

There are two types of major health risks surrounding the sport of football.

Injury – It is virtually impossible to eliminate the risk of physical injury while playing football. Concussion, broken limbs, scrapes, and cuts are a common part of the game.

Infection – As synthetic turf becomes the most popular surface for playing football, the risk for infection with Staph, MRSA, and more becomes greater.

At Sports Turf Northwest, our main goal is to provide all of the equipment necessary to allow everyone who enjoys sports to play safely on synthetic turf. When it comes to preventing injury, we offer the LitterKat, a synthetic turf sweeper. The LitterKat removes debris on turf that can harm athletes. Debris such as shoe spikes, pens, feathers, and more could potentially cause injury no matter how much padding you are wearing. To read more about the LitterKat, read our previous posts:

In addition to synthetic turf maintenance equipment to prevent injury, we also supply the best equipment to rid synthetic turf of harmful micro-organisms that can cause MRSA, Staph, Flu, and many other infections. Playing football on synthetic turf presents a higher probability for turf burns, small cuts, and scrapes, which when left open provide easy access to MRSA and other infections. Equipment like the GreenZapr can ensure the death of harmful bacteria and keep kids and athletes safe no matter what surface they are playing on. We highly recommend further reading about the risk for MRSA and Staph on synthetic turf with our previous posts:

The Center for Disease Control also offers some great tips for athletes on how to stay safe from MRSA, Staph, and other injuries. We must do our part to keep kids and athletes safe while participating in the long-held tradition of football. Call Sports Turf NW today to discuss upgrading your turf maintenance equipment.

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1 response

I have been associiaed with synthdetic turf for more than 25 years. Coached HS FB for 15 years. My knowledsge of this product is extensive. There are solutions available to controlling staph infections within synthetic turf. There are many types of turf, not just infill. Have researched keeping playing surfaces safe for the users. Currently I will preform as a Turf Broker for clients in pursuit of purchasing or changing turf systems. Glad to talk, always available……..duke